Tim:
As has been pointed out, cleaning out the crud in the valves and tubing
is far more important than a shiny exterior. If the lacquer has been
stripped from your horn, nickel silver can be polished with brass
cleaner. However, it's not to be overdone, since polishing does take
metal off. Bells are particularly vulnerable, because you will be
polishing both exterior and interior surfaces, thus taking off even more
metal every time. In my experience, nickel silver doesn't oxidize as
quickly as brass, so you can go a long time between polishing, if you
must polish.
Many players prefer unlacquered horns over lacquered ones. Schilke once
wrote a paper in which he pointed out that lacquer (as opposed to bare
metal or silver-plate) tends to deaden tone, being a thick and inert
substance. How valid that hypothesis is, I don't know, but my preference
has always been for unlacquered horns.
Richard in Seattle
Tim Kecherson wrote:
I'd like to thank everyone who helped me out with this problem. I
have one more question about this. My personal horn (the first
question was about my fiancee's horn) is in very bad shape, and is no
longer lacquered at all. If I were to get my horn fixed up and
cleaned, would it be shiny again? It is a nickel-silver Conn 8D and
I'm fairly certain it has not been properly cleaned or polished for
about 15 years.
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